Red Wings beat Blackhawks on Samuelsson's OT goal

May 20, 2009 - 3:45 AM

By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

DETROIT(AP) -- The Red Wings have put the Chicago Blackhawks on
notice. The defending Stanley Cup champions are two wins away
from getting back to the finals, and they aren't even playing
their best hockey.

Mikael Samuelsson scored 5:14 into overtime and Chris Osgood
made 37 saves, lifting Detroit to a 3-2 win over the Blackhawks
on Tuesday night and a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference
finals.

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock was relieved to win a game in which
his team was often outplayed. They played for the fourth time in
a week, including two hard-fought games against the Anaheim
Ducks.

"I don't think we had any legs or any pop whatsoever," Babcock
said. "I thought we had good will and good determination, but no
legs."

The Blackhawks had nothing to show for their grit, desire and
talent.

"It's a brutal loss," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said.

The fourth-seeded Blackhawks, playing in their first conference
final since 1995, now have the daunting task of beating the
defending champions in four out of five games to advance.

"We want to beat them one game, the next one, and that's our
concern," Quenneville said. "We should be excited about being
back in the United Center to recapture some excitement and
enthusiasm."

Game 3 is Friday night in Chicago.

Detroit is trying to become the first defending champion to get
back to the finals since New Jersey did in 2001. The Red Wings
are the last team to repeat, winning the Cup in 1997 and '98.

"This gives us a good start, but this is a team that is going to
be tough to put away," Babcock said.

Detroit won Game 2 on a 3-on-1 rush, taking advantage of Chicago
defenseman Brian Campbell's turnover near Detroit's blue line.

Jiri Hudler raced up the left side with the puck, pushed it to
his right toward Valtteri Filppula, whose drop pass set up
Samuelsson for a shot from the slot that beat Blackhawks goalie
Nikolai Khabibulin.

"I just kept skating with them," Samuelsson said. "It was a
great play."

Campbell lamented his role.

"If I'd do the play over again, maybe, I'd put a little sauce on
that," he said. "But I've got to make that play."

After losing 5-2 in the series opener, the young Blackhawks
weren't going to get routed again.

Jonathan Toews' second goal of the game with 7:40 left in
regulation pulled Chicago into a 2-2 tie. Toews gave Chicago the
lead midway through the first period, but Brian Rafalski got
Detroit even later in the frame. Dan Cleary made it 2-1 early in
the second.

Khabibulin stopped 35 shots.

The first two goals were scored on power plays. The final two in
regulation came at even strength.

Chicago had a two-man advantage in the first period and grabbed
a 1-0 lead during the second half of the power play with 7:11
left in the period.

After Samuelsson left the penalty box, he failed to clear the
puck out of his end. Toews was credited with a goal that went
off the skate of Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson.

Detroit has given up a power-play goal in a franchise-record 11
straight playoff games. It is the NHL's longest streak during
one postseason in two decades.

The Red Wings tied it less than 4 minutes later. Rafalski's shot
sailed past teammate Marian Hossa's stick and got by Khabibulin,
who didn't see the puck because Tomas Holmstrom was perched in
front.

Cleary scored for the third straight game, following up on his
two-goal performance in Game 1 and his series-clinching goal
against Anaheim in the conference semifinals.

Toews bounced back with a strong game after he and teammate
Patrick Kane were held without a point in Game 1. Kane had two
of his three shots in the opening period Tuesday after not
recording a shot on Sunday.

Quenneville split up the young stars, and Detroit focused on
slowing down Kane after his active start.

"He looked like he was having way too much fun," Babcock said.
"I thought he should've gotten run over a few times."

Notes: Pittsburgh allowed a power-play goal in 11 straight
playoff games in 1989, according to STATS, LLC. ... Toews has
six goals in the playoffs. ... Detroit captain Nicklas
Lidstrom's assist on Rafalski's goal was his 116th in the
playoffs, moving him ahead of Steve Yzerman and into first place
on the Red Wings' career list. He tied Larry Robinson for fourth
among defenseman on the NHL list.